Tears of a Hero
by Phoenix of the Ice
Summary: Clarisse built Silena's grave, so is she forgotten? The answer is no. Clarisse does not forget her meadow. If you've read the Hunger Games, you will recognize he song.


Clarisse kneeled at the grave, with dark letters carved into the hard marble by her. She refused to let it be done by a hoard of strangers Silena never even knew. It was better this way, but that didn't mean that she could be forgotten. Silena Beauregard. How long had it been since that name passed her head?

Countless memories of their times together flooded her head, twisting a rusty knife in her, but one especially stood out among the others...

"_The meadow?"_

A few years back, they were simply lying in the middle of a starry summer meadow, warm from the hot day's rays. Countless nebulas blurred the endless blanket of darkened blue, while light dots indicated the comforting presence of stars, and out of them all, the moon outshone them all.

"Clarisse?" Silena asked, turning to her best friend after hours of peaceful silence.

"Yeah?" Clarisse yawned, looking into sky blue orbs that oddly contrasted the night.

"Where would you want to be buried?" she said softly, extending a hand and waving it over her sight of the sky.

The Ares kid thought for a while, falling into a deep train of thought, letting her imagination roam for miles before she answered.

"I dunno, it never really occurred to me, when we die, we die. It doesn't matter where, all I want is a normal burial with a few people attending, but hey, you never know." Clarisse answered thoughtfully, grasping a clump of grass at her side and trailing her fingers along the soft material.

"I want to be buried in a meadow, with flowers weaved all around me." Silena replied, idly picking petals off a flower and throwing them into the air to release their fragrance.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow_

"A meadow?" Clarisse paused, wondering why.

"The beauty of it, just look!" Silena burst, kneeling and spreading her arms to the nature all around them.

Clarisse got up to a sitting position with her legs tucked beneath her thighs, and looked around, then realizing what she meant. Well, she was often complimented as the smarter of the Ares campers.

"You're right, because there's life everywhere, right?

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes  
And when they open, the sun will rise_

"Yes, it's all here. Flowers, grass, an old tree. I want to be buried here." She whispered, looking down to a particular flower that was blooming faster than the rest.

Clarisse lay back down on the grass. She saw Silena's point, but it didn't seem so right.

"You're going to be dead, but surrounded by life? Wouldn't that feel a bit ironic?"

"I want something to remind others that I'm still there." Silena quietly replied, pulling the flower up and casting it off in Aeolus' direction.

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

Clarisse's eyes softened with the realization dawning on her. Stupid Aphrodite kids, always knowing how to touch others' hearts.

"I can see, nobody's immortal, and I guess that we all have to make our lives count. Live like a coward or die fighting." She grinned, feeling a scar on her face.

"Exactly, but don't you want to be remembered after death, too?"

"I don't see the point. You live, people admire you, then you die, and then they forget."

_Here your dreams are sweet-  
-and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

For the first time, Silena had nothing to say, and kept silent, gazing at the stars all gathered in the sky, twinkling softly. Silena would've liked to imagine that they were Artemis' Hunters, but then she remembered. Nobody would die.__

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray

A place where dreams could all come true, a place where no trouble existed, was there such a place? Who would worry about dying? Such perfection would never be achieved, not until you'd have to go through death.

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away_

"I want to be remembered after I die." She firmly said, after minutes of silence.

"But why?"_  
_

"Because one day, I'm going to die a death that nobody will forget. A hero's death, worthy of praise." She dreamily envisioned.

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm_

Clarisse chuckled. She was the older of the two, but she'd let Silena's fantasies go by.

"Such perfection, maybe you'll be remembered someday."

_Here your dreams are sweet-  
- and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

Here is the place where I love you.

And now, here she was, sitting in front of a weathered grave. Clarisse was no wimp, but she let a few tears escape her eyes.

"Now, now you'll be remembered."


End file.
